While much of the UFC 69 focus has centered on Josh Koscheck vs. Diego Sanchez, as well as UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra, many UFC fans have forgotten about one of the night’s most intriguing undercard matches: MMA veteran Heath Herring (26-12 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. The Ultimate Fighter 2’s Brad Imes (5-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

Herring, a PRIDE and K-1 veteran who was picked up when the UFC acquired (and disbanded) the World Fighting Alliance back in December, made an unspectacular Octagon debut in January’s UFC Fight Night 8 event. The Texas native dropped a unanimous decision to Jake O’Brien, a renowned wrestler who entered the fight a major underdog.

To promote his debut, the UFC also continually aired an infamous kiss that took place at a 2005 K-1 event. As Herring and his opponent, Yoshihiro Nakao, went chin-to-chin in the pre-fight staredown, Nakao planted a quick peck on Herring’s lips. Before Nakao had the chance to consider second base, Herring unleashed a quick punch that floored Nakao and ended the fight before it ever began.

The fight was eventually ruled a no-contest.

Herring’s poor showing, the lowlight-reel kiss, and his post-UFC Fight Night 8 announcement that he had been injured prior to the fight — well, it didn’t go over well with UFC fans. (It didn’t go over well with a certain UFC Junkie who had a couple hundred bucks on the fighter either.)

In the months since that fight, I’ve wanted to write off Herring as an over-hyped under-performer. But honestly, it’s been hard. So hard, in fact, that I’m starting to have a change of heart.

Perhaps Herring simply got some good public-relations advice, but based on his interviews since his disastrous UFC debut, I’m warming up to him.

Herring, perhaps more than anyone, knows the hole he’s dug himself into, and he seems determined to fix his image with UFC fans.

Given that you lost your first fight in the UFC, do you feel you are at a crossroads in your UFC career with this upcoming match?

You could interpret that in many ways. I’ve had several people ask me that question. I think if I sat down and I really let the pressure get to me, it could. But, I just have to trust in my abilities, where I’ve been, what I’ve been through. I know what I’ve gone through. I know all the opponents that I’ve faced. And I know what my abilities are. So, I’m really not too worried about it. I know I’ve got a place in the sport for a long time to come. Unfortunately, I feel that people weren’t able to see me fight at the top of my abilities at that last fight. So, I need to come out and show everybody what I am capable of as opposed to seeing half of a performance.

If you do defeat Imes, who would you like to fight next?

I’ve never even considered opponents to be honest with you. In Japan, that was a favorite question of all the interviewers. And I never really had a good answer for them. Whoever the organization offers up to me at the time, I’m going to take and accept. I like to stay active. I like to stay busy obviously. I just fought. I’m trying to fight again. I’ve had a year, year-and-a-half layoff due to some legal issues in Japan so I’m actually glad to be back in the swing of things.

So, as far as an opponent that I would want to face, probably the quickest fight that they’ll give me after this one — if everything goes the way I want it to — then I’ll probably say yes to [that matchup].

Honestly, I’m really looking forward to this fight. I want to see the UFC’s heavyweight division flourish, and it seems to be on the cusp of really taking off. Although this fight won’t have major implications for the division’s championship picture, it could get one or both of the fighters’ names some attention for future main-card matches.

Additionally, I’m just happy to see Imes back in the UFC. Come Saturday, it’ll be one year and one day since he last fought in the Octagon. After the death of his mother the day after The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale (he lost to Rashad Evans) and an assortment of injuries, the UFC granted Imes permission to tune up outside the UFC. That included wins over Greg Hammer (1-1) at a November Extreme Combat Fighting event and a win over Christopher Adams (0-2) at a February Combat Fighting Championship event.

I actually first met Imes while we were both students at the University of Missouri. While working part-time for the university’s Athletic Media Relations department, I interviewed Imes (a standout offensive tackle) for a feature story for a game-day program. I ran across him a few times afterward, and he was always a nice guy.

Although his fight with Herring may not make the televised portion of Saturday’s broadcast, I’m eager to see the outcome. For the sake of both fighters, I just hope it’s an exciting one.

From Our Partners

The Latest

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is probably the greatest female fighter on the planet, which is a tremendous feat. So why are we seemingly so obsessed with arguing about whether she could beat up men?